Chapter 245 - 245: Visit
When Jiang Gui returned from work that night, he learned that Jiang Chuan wanted to bring the Zhang family down from the mountain to the village. He slammed the table in anger. “That won’t do! Does Jiang Chuan think he can do whatever he wants just because he’s separated from the Jiang family?”
Jiang Gui’s wife was also opposed to the idea. When Jiang Qing lived at home, she constantly flirted with the young men in the village. This behavior was the reason their daughter, Jiang Hong, couldn’t find a suitable match. Now, having finally married her off, they were thinking of bringing her back after only two years. This was sheer torment!
The Jiang family elders, along with the eldest son’s family, began to complain and argue loudly, while the second son’s family remained silent and listened.
Zhang Ling is the daughter-in-law of the second son. The Zhang family is related to the second son by marriage. With their family moving to the village, Jiang Chuan was taking care of all the arrangements, so they didn’t have to do anything. What was there to oppose?
The fact that her own family was moving to the village and her husband’s family remained silent had already left Zhang Ling very discontented. However, compared to the strong opposition from the uncle’s family, Zhang Ling’s anger shifted.
Every member of this family seemed to be selfish. Once her maternal family moved to the village, Zhang Ling was determined to find a way to have the second son’s family live separately. She wanted to see how the old Jiang family would fare without the second and third sons!
From their discussion, Zhang Ling gathered that the Zhang family’s relocation to Pushan Village was strongly advocated by the third Jiang son. Jiang Qing was her sister-in-law. Regardless of the disagreements, Zhang Ling felt she should visit Jiang Chuan’s house to understand their stance.
Zhang Ling’s father did not treat the family well, acting as if the entire family owed him. He constantly abused or yelled at the family, showing affection only to the youngest brother.
Although Zhang Ling hated her father, the rest of the family treated her very well. Her elder brother would often secretly save some meat he hunted and exchange it for food in the village, later giving Zhang Ling and her younger brothers an extra meal.
Zhang Ling was forced by her father to marry into the Jiang family, but she thought of it as helping her elder brother find a wife. So Zhang Ling did not resist. She also hoped that she could find a gentle and understanding sister-in-law for him.
After she came to the Jiang family, she felt that Jiang Chuan family’s were always submissive, and she looked down on them from the bottom of her heart. She also had a bad impression of Jiang Qing.
However, when Jiang Chuan declared his intention to separate from the family, Zhang Ling began to see them in a new light.
In this era where people couldn’t even have enough to eat, the only way to survive was to work hard. Jiang Chuan, despite being more capable than his brothers, had previously been too meek. Overshadowed by them, he was always submissive and couldn’t stand up for himself. After splitting up, the family’s life was better. This meant that they had the ability to let the Zhang family live a good life in the village.
Of course, the Zhang family would not rely entirely on him to support them. The three sons of the Zhang family were skilled hunters, so their life in the village would not be bad.
With the marriage between Jiang Qing and her elder brother, Zhang Ling and Jiang Chuan’s family could be considered relatives, so their relationship should be closer. Therefore, Zhang Ling decided to visit Jiang Chuan’s family before the Zhang family moved to Pushan Village. In the future, the two families would have a lot of interactions.
The next morning, Zhang Ling sneaked out early, while the old madam was still in bed, and headed straight to Jiang Chuan’s house.
Seeing Zhang Ling, they were momentarily surprised, then hurriedly welcomed her inside.
Considering that their daughter and son-in-law were about to be brought home, they viewed Zhang Ling as family, being their in-law.
Zhang Ling was invited into the house. She sat on the brick bed and placed her hands on her knees cautiously. She could not help but look around the house.
The structure of the house was simple, no different from other villagers’ houses, but it looked brighter. The furniture was flat and smooth. It was brand new furniture made of pure wood. There were no wooden thorns that scratched one’s fingers, and the paint did not peel off. It was enviable.
After a while, Zhou Lan came in with a glass of sugar water and placed it on the table in front of Zhang Ling.
Despite feeling guilty, Zhang Ling put on airs again, trying to project an exterior of arrogance..